ACT 1


Scene 1


Venice: A street at night Enter Roderigo and Iago


1 Tush: Come on!


1 much unkindly: rather badly 3


this: Othello and Desdemona’s elopement and secret marriage


4 ’Sblood: by God’s blood (a swear word) Roderigo Iago 7 him: Othello 9


suit: appeal, petition – three important citizens have asked Othello to promote Iago


10


Off-capped: respectfully removed their caps


11 price: value, worth 12


13


he: Othello, unnamed, is verbally abused by Iago


bombast circumstance: elaborate excuse


14 epithets of war: military language 16


16 Certes: certainly 19


20


arithmetician: theorist, academic (with little military experience)


Florentine: person from the city of Florence


21 almost … wife: a ladies’ man 22


set a squadron: led a company of soldiers


24 spinster: inexperienced person 25


26 prattle: idle talk


27 had the election: was chosen 29


29


Rhodes: island in the Mediterranean Sea


Cyprus: island in the Mediterranean Sea


30 be-lee’d: pacified, unable to move 31 counter-caster: accountant


33


Moorship’s: contemptuous reference to Othello’s background


33 ancient: old advise ensign, flag-bearer


36 Preferment: promotion 36


37


letter and affection: qualifications and favouritism


old gradation: promotion based on army experience


39 affined: bound 2


Roderigo Iago


toged consuls: senators wearing robes of peace


Nonsuits my mediators: blocks the request of my supporters


Roderigo Iago


Tush! Never tell me; I take it much unkindly That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this.


’Sblood, but you will not hear me: If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me.


Thou told’st me thou didst hold him in thy hate.


Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city, In personal suit to make me his lieutenant, Off-capped to him: and, by the faith of man, I know my price, I am worth no worse a place: But he; as loving his own pride and purposes, Evades them, with a bombast circumstance Horribly stuffed with epithets of war; And, in conclusion, Nonsuits my mediators; for, ‘Certes,’ says he, ‘I have already chosen my officer.’ And what was he? Forsooth, a great arithmetician, One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, A fellow almost damned in a fair wife; That never set a squadron in the field, Nor the division of a battle knows More than a spinster: unless the bookish theoric, Wherein the toged consuls can propose As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practice, Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election: And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds Christian and heathen, must be be-lee’d and calmed By debitor and creditor: this counter-caster, He, in good time, must his lieutenant be, And I − God bless the mark!− his Moorship’s ancient.


By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.


Why, there’s no remedy; ’tis the curse of service. Preferment goes by letter and affection, And not by old gradation, where each second Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge yourself, Whether I in any just term am affined To love the Moor.


35 5


10


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